Vehicle-operated garaoe door



Jan. 11,1927 3,973

. H. H. \VOLFF VEHICLE OPERATED GARAGE DOOR Filed April 9, 1925 3Sheets-Sheet l 4 INVENTOR 6. jg BYM 1W 1. 0

a? 15. 16%! TTORNEY Jan. 11 1927.

H. H. wQLFF VEHICLE OPERATED GARAGE noon 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 91925 R57 1 mmvron.

J1 MATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1927,

H. H. WOLFF VEHICLE QPERAT-ED GARAGE DOOR Filed April 9 1925 :sSheets-Sheet 5 I III/ 1 4 1 1 1 1 l 0., 0/ 1 y l l v 0 I/ 4 1/ 4 4/ I 1adapted to Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS H. WOLFE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

VEHICLE-OPERATED GARAGE DOOR.

First: To provide a door for public and private garagesthat will openautomatically to thedirect pressure automobile. I 7

Second: To provide a door for public and private garages that willautomatically close itself after the automobile has opened it and passedby it.

'Third: To provide a vertically positioned two part door for public andprivate ga: rages, both parts of which are connected by mechanism andare arranged to swing in unison in the same direction; and to providemeans by which the lower part door' is be engaged by an automobile andswung down against the floor of the, garage and lockedthere until theautomobile'runs over it, and that-automatically unlocks itself againstit,of a moving 'after the car runs oif it, and in which the enoughheavier than the upper part door is the lower part door by lower part toraise 'suitable intermediate mechanism as it swings down into its normalvertically depending position. h

I, attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which r x Figure 1 is a. front elevation 6f the two partautomobile-opened door.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation through the two part door onthe line2-2 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 3 is a vertical sectionaT view of a' two part door showmg acombined gear and sprocket wheel and chain mechanism whereby the lowerpart of the door acts to swing the upper part in unison with its swingmovement when an automobile moves against it and swings it down againstthe floor.

Figure 4 is a ivertical. sectional. view of a two part door showing aspiral gearing and shaft mechanism for operating the' two parts of thedoor in unison with eachother. Figure 5' is an enlarged sectional viewof a portion of the lower door as it rests upon the floor and is lockedto the floor while the automobile runs over it. 4

Figure 6 is a sectional view of-a portion of the lower door on the line6'6 of Figure 1, showing the latchingmechanism car- .ried by the said;door,"including the books which are adapted'to engage retaining memberswhen the door is swung to a horizontal thereon sprocket Applicationfiled April 9", 1925. Serial n. 21,911.

position by an automobile, and Figure 7 is a front view of one of thelower corner portions of the door and doorway shown in Fig ure 3.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the doorway of agarage, and in this doorway I install -an 'automobilebpened door thatembodiesmy invention, floor 2 of the garage at the opposite sides of thedoorway are formed recesses 3. Across the floor in line with the doorwayis placed ashaft 4, and across theupper end of the doorway, isalsoplaced a shaft 5. The shaft 4, is pivotally mounted at its opposite endsin bearings 6, positioned in the recesses 3, and these hearings aresecured by bolts to the bottoms of the said recesses. ings 6 support theshaft 4 at a slight distance above thelevel of the floor and theopposite end portions of this shaft *4 have secured wheels 7 as shown inFigure 1, ortgear wheels 8, as shown in Figure 3, or worm wheels 9, asshown in Figure 4, as will be explained fully "hereinafter.

The shaft 5, is also'pivotally mounted in The bear-I 6,5 and in thebearings 10, that are secured to the upper portions of this shaft 5,having secured thereon either sprocket wheel 11. as shown in Figures 1,2, and 3, or worm wheels 11*, as

shown in Figure 4.

On the upper shaft 5, a door 12, is secured, which is wide enough toswing freely between vertical boards or panels 13, on each side of,thedoorway, which serveto inclose the sprocket chains which operate thedoors simultaneously, scribed. The door 12 is shown as being one halfof'the full length but the-upper door may extend down to any pointbetween one half of the height 01'; the;

doorway and a point corresponding to the height of the .wheel.

hub of an automobile, and the lower 'door would, of course, becorrespondingly shorter. The upper door 12, is secured to the shaft 5,by straps .14, that are secured to the door by-bolts 15 the straps beingbent or looped around the shaft and are rigidly secured to it,preferably b pins.

16, which are passed through the ooped Ends of the straps and-throughthe shafts-as shown.

as will hereinafter be de-v of the double door,

As the door 12 is secured to the upper shaft 5, it will swing upwardlyin either direction into a horizontal position.

The lower shaft 4, also has a part door 17, secured to it by straps 18,that are secured to it by bolts 19, and the straps are bent or loopedaround the shaft 4 and are rigidly secured to it by pins 16, as in thecase ofbetween the two doors.

directly above it. The gears 22 are mounted on stub shafts 23, whichare'supported in bearing brackets 24, that form a part of the bearing 6of the shaft 4, and on each stub shaft 23 at the side'of the gears 22,is secured a sprocket wheel 25, and on the opposite ends of the shaft 5are secured sprocket wheels 11, and each opposite pair of sprocketwheels 11 and 25 on the opposite ends of the shaft 5,'an-d the stubshafts 23, respectively, are connected by sprocket chains 27.

When an automobile entering the garage runs slowly up against the lowerdoor 17, it'

is moved to swing inwardly and downwardly until it lies flat downagainst the floor, and this swinging and turningmovementof the shaftturns the gears 22, on the stub-shafts 23, the sprocket wheels 25 turnthe sprocket chains 27, and they turn the sprocket-wheels 11, which aresecured to theshaft 5, in the direction to swing the upper door inwardlyand upwardly until it stands in a substantially horizontal position,under the ceiling of the garage.

My invention, however, contemplates any mechanism for swinging these twopart doors in unison and in the same direction, and in addition. to thegear and sprocket wheel and chain mechanism above described, Iillustrate modified type of operating mechanism shown in Figurre 4, andwhich is constructed as follows: 4

On each side of the doorwayis mounted a shaft 28, which is at aninclination to a vertical line, the upper ends of these shafts 'beingslightly in front ofthe upper end of plane of the shafts 4 and 5, toallow the spiral toothed pinions to mesh with the spiral toothed gears,and the opposite ends of the shaft 28 are journaled in bearings 31 and32, that are secured in the recesses 3 in the fioor and at the upperends of the door jambs.

The spiral teeth of the spiral pinions and of the spiral gears are madeto stand at right angles to each other, and consequently, as the lowerdoor swings down, its spiral gears 9 wilLturn the spiral toothed pinions29, andconsequently the shafts 28 rotate the upper spiral pinions 30 andthey rotate the spiral toothed gears 11 on the ends of the upper shaft 5in the opposite direction from the shaft 4, and therefore the upper doorwill be swung in the same direction and'in unison with the lower door. p

. In Figures 1 and 2, the sprocket wheels 7 on the lower shaft 4, andthe sprocket wheels 11 on the upper shaft 5, are connected respectivelyby crossed sprocket chains 7', by which rotation of the lower sprocketwheels 7, in either direction, imparts an opposite rotation to thesprocket wheels 11 on the shaft 5; and therefore, when'the lower doorissWung either inward or outward, the upper door will be swung in acorresponding direction.

It is essential to the successful operation of my vehicle-operatedopening and closing two-part garage door that mechanism be provided forholding them in a horizontal position for a short period after they havebeen swungto such positions by an automobile in either entering orleaving the garage, in order that the automobile may be entirely beyondthe path described by the doors,

before they start to swing to vertical positions when an automobile haspushed against them, and while the invention contemplates any employ thefollowing mechanism. The floor of the garage, and also the drivewayleading to the garage, are provided, respectively, with recesses 34,which are at equal distances-from the shaft 4, and in line with thecenter of said shaft. In the bottoms of these recesses are secured thebase portions of anchors 35 in the form of vertical posts, whichterminate at their upper ends in lateral catch' lugs 36, the tops of wayof accomplishing this, I preferably garage.

which-are flush with the floor line of the Catch lugs 36 are each formedwith inclined faces 37 and 38, the face 37 being at. an angle ofapproximately 30 degrees to the horizontal, and the face 38 being atright angles to the face 37, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The faces 37of the catches are adapted to engage correspondingly inclined faces .onalatch bar 39 (see Figure 5) that is mounted in the lower'door, as willbe presently explained. The inclined faces 37 and 38 of each catch lugconverge toa point X and these points on the two anchors face inopposite directions, as shown' in Figure 2.

The latch bar 39, and parts connected therewith, are arranged asfollows:. An opening 40 is formed through the lower door,'near the upperend thereof and centrally of its width, and in the lower end of this 0ening is secured acylinder 41. The

cylin eris formed on opposite sides with projecting wings 42, whichoverlapthe sides of the opening 40 so'asto engage the opposite sides ofthe door, and bolts'43 are passed through the ends of. the wings andthrough the door, as shown in Figure 6, thereby se curing the cylinderwithin the opening 40. The cylinder head is provided with a small axialhole 44, which connects with an air passage in the door. Within thecylinder is mounted a cup-like piston 46. having a relatively large airport 47, which is normally closed by a spring controlledvalve 48 .havinga stem. which is slidably mounted in a hole formed in a lug 49 whichprojects inward from the wall of the piston, the springbeing interposedbetween the valve and the said lug-49, and surrounding the valve stem,as shown. The remaining part of the opening is covered by plates 50.which are bolted to opposite sides of the door, and each of these plates50 is formed with an. inwardly projecting lug '51 through which isformed a guide slot 52, and opposite slots '53, which extend through thewall of the lug from the guide slot, as will be understood by referenceto Figures 5 and 6. The guide slots, 52- are aline'd, and in these slotsis mounted the latch bar 39. which is held in position by fulcrum pins54, which extend through the slots 53' and through the said latch bar.Each pair of slots 53 are arcs, whose centers. coincide with the centerof the fulcrum pin which passes through the other pair of slots 53, thelatch bar being in nor mal position. The opposite ends of the,

' latch bar extend beyond the opposite sides of the door and these endsare in the form,

substantially, of books, which are in the form of lateral projectionshaving inclined the door is in a horizontal position, and the faces 56being of a corresponding angle to the faces 38 of the anchors, when. thedoor is in a horizontal position. I

A piston rod 57 is pivotally connected at one end t5 the piston 46, andat-the other end 'to the latch-bar .39, centrally of its length. Thelatch bar is at a distance from g the lower shaft 4 correspondin to thedis-- tance ofeither anchor post 35 from the said shaft, so when thelower door swings in either direction one end of said latch barunderstood.

In operation, as a car, either on the inside or outside of the garage,approaches the taneously swung upto a corresponding position by themechanism previously described. ,As it approaches such position, theinclined face 56 of one end of the latch bar 39 enwill engage theadjacent anchor. as will be gages the correspondingly inclined face 38of the adiacent anchor 35, and the latch bar is suddenly swung outward,the fulcrum pin 54 farthest from the contactingendof the latch baracting as the pivot on which the said bar swings. This sudden swing ofthe latch bar exerts a pull on the piston rod 57- and a correspondingmovement of the piston 46 in the cylinder 41, and the sudden movement ofthe piston creates a vacuum between the cylinder and piston heads, asthe hole 44 in the cylinder head is so small that air cannot beinstantly drawn into the cylin der by the movementof the piston. As thepoint Y on, the latch head passes the point X on,the anchor post 35, thevacuum between the cylinder and piston heads instantly draws the latchbar inward. and-the inclined face '55 of its book 'end'slides' be--heath the inclined face 37 of'the anchor, and the doors are thereby heldin horizontal positions for a period of sufiicient length to ernait thecar to pass over the lower door and beyond-the path in which the twodoors swing. But 'astheupper door is heavier than the lower door, itbegins. to move down' by gravity the instant the car clears the lowerdoor, and its movement, acting through the sprocket and chain mechanism,

exerts an upward pull on the lower door,

tending to release the latch from-the anchor 35. However the'latchcannot escape from,

the anchor due to the suction created behind the piston as it attemptsto move. This suction or partial vacuum can only be overcome by theentrance of air through the passage 45 in the door, and the hole 44 inthe cylinder head,and as the hole 44 is very small,

theoutward movement of the latch bar is retarded sufficiently to permitthe car to clear the path of the doors, as previously stated. \Vhen thelower door reaches a ver tical position, the weight of the piston causesit to drop by. gravity and the air between the piston head and thecylinder head escapes through the air port 47, by lifting the valve 48,wl'lichnormally closes saidv port, and the piston head again rests upon7 the head of the cylinder.

Track plates 59 (see Fig. 1) are secured 'to opposite sides of the lowerdoor, and these act in conjunction with the straps 18 to strengthen thedoor. The lower door is also provided on opposite sides with resilientbumpers 60, preferably rubber, which cushion the door as it is swung toa horizontal position by the car.

As before stated, it is not'necessary that the two parts-of the doorshould be of the same width, but the lower door may extend only as highas the centers of the car wheels,

or any height from that point to a point equal to one half of the fullheight of the two-part door, and the upperdoor Wlll have .acorrespondingly greater length than the lower door when the latter dooris less than one half of the fu'llheight of the double.

latch and locking the lower door part a ainst the driveway until afterthe automobile has passed overit.

2. In an automobile operated garage door, the combina ion with a doorwayframe, of

'a two-part door therein, the upper part being hinged-at its upper endto the upper part of-the doorway frame, and the; lower part being hingedat its lower end to the lower part of said frame, and means connectingthe hinge elements of said doors whereby, when the lower door is swungdownward, the.

upper door is at the same time-swung upward and means for holding thelower door temporarilv in a horizontal position after an auomobile haspassed over the same.

3. .In a two part automobile operated door for garage doorways, thecombination with shafts rotatably mounted at the upper and lower ends ofsaid doorway, of doors rigidly connected to said: shafts, the upper doorbeing 'the heavier, and means connecting said shafts whereby when thelower door is swung down, the upper door is swung up simultaneouslytherewith and means including an automatically operating latch fortemporarily holding the lower door against the drivewayafter anautomobile has passed over said lower door.

4'. In 'a two part-automobile operated door for garage doorways, thecombination with shafts rotatably mounted respectively at the upper andlower ends of said doorway, of

doors rigidlysecuredto said shafts, and a chain and sprocket connectionbetween said shafts, whereby when one of said doors 1s swung eitherinward or outward, the other door is swung simultaneously therewith,said" lower door belng adapted to swmg downv against the driveway by theengagement therewith of a moving car: catches on each side of sald door1n the driveway, and a latch on said door adapted to be engaged byeither one of said catches. and means forautomatically releasing saidlatch'in a short period after an automobile has passed over said lowerdoor.

'5.- The combination with a doorway frame, shafts rotatably mounted,respectively, in the upper and. lower ends of said frame doors rigidlyconnected to said shafts and meeting at an intermediate point betweensaid shafts, the-upper door being heavier than the lower door, and asprocket and] chain connection between. said shafts, said lower doorbeing adapted to be swung down against the driveway by contact therewithof a moving car, the upper-door being swung upward simultaneouslytherewith; of anchors in said driveway, a pivoted-latch in said lowerdoor for engaging either one of said anchors, and air controlled meansfor.

releasing said latch-in a short period after the car has passed oversaidlowerdoor whereby the upper door swings down, by gravity, therebyswinging the lower door to a vertical position.

6. The combination with a doorway frame, shafts mounted respectively inthe upper and lower ends of said frame and doors rigidly secured to saidshafts, of sprocket and' chain connections between said shafts, saidlowerdoor being adapted to be swung in either direction by engagementtherewith of a moving vehicle, thereby to permit the vehicle to passover said lower door, said upper door swinging simultaneously with thelower door and in a corresponding direction, a latch on said lower door.an anchor in the driveway in the radius of said lower door and adaptedto engage said latch whenv the lower door is swune to its lowermost po--siti0n. and a suction piston connected to said latch to allow saidlatch to be released fromsaid anchor a short period of time after thevehicle has passed over the lower door, the

ripper door being heavier than the lower oor.

7. The combination with a driveway, a shaft extending across the sameand mounted in bearings, a shaft mounted above the first shaft, chainand sprocket Connections between said shafts, and a door rigidlyconnected to each shaft, said upper door being heavier than the lowerdoor, the lower door being adapted to be swung down and passed over by amoving vehicle; of anchors in the driveway within the radius of the pathof the door and on opposite sides of the same, a double ended latchmounted in said door for engagin either of said anchors, a cylinder insaid door, having an air inlet, a pis' ton in said cylinder, a rodconnecting said latch and said piston, the contact of the latch with theanchor exerting a sudden pull on said piston, thereby creating a vacuumin the cylinder by which the latch is'snapped into engagement with theanchor, the weight of the upperdoor exerting a pull on the lower doorand its piston, whereby air gradually enters in back of said piston toallow the latches to disengage.

8. The combination with upper and lower horizontally supported shafts,of doors rigidly secured to said shafts and meeting at an intermediatepoint between said shafts, the upper door being heavier than the lowerdoor. a stub shaft supported in parallel relation to one of the doorshafts and adjathem to move in unison when one of them is moved aboutits hinge, mechanism operative upon movement .of the sections fromclosed to open position-to temporarily lock them in open position aftera car has passed over the lower door and means operative toautomatically move the sections to closing position-when the lock isineifective.

11. A car operated garage door, comprising an upper section hinged alongits upper edge and a lower section hinged along its lower edge, motiontransmitting means interconnecting the said sections forgcausing themtomove in unison when one of them is moved about its hinge and mechanismoperative upon movementof the sections from closed to open positiontotemporarilylock them in open position, said mechanism including meansacted upon during the opening movement of the sections to exert a-holding action which decreases after a car has passed over the lowerdoor;

' 12. Apparatus according to. claim 11 in I which the said mechanismincludes timecontrolled self-releasing pneumatic means acted upon duringthe opening movement of the sections to exert a holding actionwhichdecreases after a car has passed over said lower section.

.In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HANS H. WOLFF.

